LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 20, 1996 - 3
After
1 year, M-
Card not meeting goals
Scalpers asked
to leave Union
steps -
A caller reported that two subjects
attempting to scalp football tickets were
"harassing people on the steps" of the
Michigan Union on Tuesday. One sub-
ject was a woman with shoulder-length
curly hair and wearing a jean jacket. The
other solicitor was a man, according to
Department of Public Safety reports.
DPS officials conducted warrant
checks on the subjects and asked them
*eave the area.
Two cars stolen,
one recovered
A man called to say his vehicle was
missing from a North Campus parking
lot Monday. The car was a blue 1990
Ford Probe, according to DPS reports.
"it was recovered in a ditch in Scio
*nship on the same day," said DPS
spioAesperson Elizabeth Hall.
A motor vehicle theft also occurred
Monday from an emergency-room
parking lot at the East Medical Center.
The caller said the car was a blue
Chevrolet Astro minivan. This car has
not been recovered, Hall said.
"In the last 60 days, we've had
maybe 10 (car thefts)," Hall said.
ieg igent fire
started in MLB
DPS responded to a small fire in the
Modern Languages Building on
Saturday. It started in a trash can and was
later contained in the immediate area.
Damage to the third-floor room
included papers and cardboard falling
into'the heater. The items smoldered
caused smoke. The area was vent-
for smoke, according to DPS
reports.
The Ann Arbor Police Department
also responded to the call. DPS
requested that the plumbing shop turn
off the heat in the room
Natural gas leak
at Public Health
small gas leak was contained at
the Public Health Building on the cor-
ner of Glen and Huron streets yester-
day. Two buildings, the Power Center
for Performing Arts and Building
Services, were evacuated, Hall said.
"From start to finish it was about an
hour and a half," Hall said.
Traffic was rerouted around the area.
me students,
aff missing
redit cars
DPS reported several thefts involv-
ing'sfudent and staff property, especial-
ly ctedit cards. Some of the property
was later recovered.
A caller said her credit cards were
stolen from her planner in East Hall on
Wednesday. The caller said a salesper-
l had informed her "that a woman has
e arged more than $1,000 dollars on it."
Credit cards were also the target of
theft from the men's restroom in
Canham Natatorium on East Hoover
Stteyt on Monday. A caller said credit
cad were stolen by the custodian.
wie property was later recovered on
t14 second floor of the building and
ret'uiied to the original owner, accord-
i to DPS reports.
the Student Activities Building, a
custodian recovered a wallet with cred-
it cards and identification in the the
men's second floor restroom on
Monday. DPS reports said some of the
items in the wallet were missing.
A secretary in the East Medical
Center reported that her purse was
stoler Wednesday from her desk in her
office. Among the items missing at the
time of the theft were a pager, petty
and other personal items, accord-
i to-DPS reports.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Anupama Reddy.
By Prachish Chakravorty
For the Daily
The University's M-Card, the all-in-
one replacement for the old student ID, is
one year old this fall. The "smart card"
was introduced to students and the local
community with the promise of simplic-
ity, convenience and a new way of doing
business, but a year later there are mixed
opinions about its success.
Bob Russel, assistant director of
financial operations, said there are
46,000 active M-Cards. According to the
Office of Financial Operations,
$805,000 has been spent using the M-
Card during the past year. But Russel
said the numbers are lower than expect-
ed.
"Transaction volumes since day one
are 20-percent less than we anticipated.
Dollars are 30-percent to 35-percent
less," Russel said.
Russel said the numbers could be
down because there is new technology
involved and it takes time before people
are comfortable.
"People don't understand the card.
It's new technology; it takes a lot of
people to try it," Russel said. "(It's the)
same in Atlanta where they're using
smart-card technology, done by Visa. It
wasn't as popular as expected."
One issue that has affected the card's
popularity is the extent to which the
card is accepted by local merchants.
According to financial operations, there
are 82 vendors who accept the M-Card
around campus. To some students, this
isn't enough.
"I have it, but I never use it," said
Engineering senior Aaron Brooks. "I
don't find a need to."
Cardholders want more vendors, and
vendors want more cardholders, Russel
said. It's the classic chicken-and-egg
story.
The M-Card has also faced some
negative criticism for being too com-
mercial.
"I don't really like First of America,
and the University forces you to deal
with First of America. They probably
get more business. It seems like there's
a lot of stuffin the background," Brooks
also said.
But not all student opinion is negative.
"I like what it does for me," said LSA
first-year student Stacy Lamb. "The
debit card is easy. It's useful around this
town."
Local busi-
iesses
mixed
about
also have
opinions
the M-
hvnever us,
Card.
Jack Clyne,
assistant manager
of WhereHouse
Jim Carey, bookkeeper at Shaman
Drum Bookstore, said that when the store
first joined the M-Card program, they
weren't absolutely sure what to expect.
"The primary goal is to try and serve
the students as best (we) can," Carey
said. "I think it's given students larger
opportunities, a broader spectrum of
payment choic-
es.
9 , butCarey did note
a few criticisms
ie t in the planning of
the card.
- Aaron Brooks "It seems to me
gineering senior that the
University of
Michigan and First of America came up
with an idea without consulting with
area merchants," he said. "They thought
of the students to some degree but
about themselves mostly.
"It wasn't necessarily done with mer-
chants."
This led to some difficulties for ven-
dors who accept the card.
"They have made improvements,"
Carey said, noting merchant feedback
meetings held by the University.
As for the future of the M-Card?
"There are things happening. We,
spent a lot of time with focus groups of
students. We're retooling the card and
how it's used" Russel said.
One change is that the M-Card will
soon be accepted on AATA bus services.
"The AATA will be taking the card
on all their buses by next spring"
Russel said.
Financial operations is also consider-
ing longer-term options to make the
card more competitive.
"We're looking at other ways to put
money on the cash chip. (There is also)
the possibility of adding credit," Russel
said.
Controversy aside, the M-Card has
established itself as a clear part of the
University landscape over the past year.
"I use it a lot, sometimes too much;'
Lamb said. "I've never had a problem
with it."
Records, said he
is satisfied with the M-Card.
"It's just basically another credit
card," Clyne said. "It's easy for (stu-
dents) to pay. The debit card is easiest."
Clyne noted that accepting the M-
Card is "a little expensive" for a business
owner and doesn't compare with major
credit cards in terms of volume, but that
it is another payment alternative.
Poetry links 'U'
with high schools
By Joelle Renstrom
For the Daily
When thinking of the connection
between high school and college, sonic
envision applications and shuddering at
SATs.
But at the University, there is a con-
nection with high school students that
doesn't induce sweating over resumes
and anxiously checking the mail.
The connection is poetry.
In 1989, the University's Interactive
Communications and Simulations pro-
gram founded the International Poetry
Guild. The guild was designed to form
a worldwide community of writers.
"We want to give the message to
poets that their work and struggle to
create work has validity," said IPG
Director Jeffrey Stanzler.
Ten high schools participate in IPG.
Students use computers to post their
poetry on online journals or to send
poems via e-mail to their mentors, who
are University students majoring in
education or English. The mentors send
comments back after reviewing the
work.
For students who speak a second lan-
guage, IPG has established a French
Poetry Guild and is working on forming
a Spanish Poetry Guild.
Berit Pavloff, an IPG adviser from
Avondale High School in Avondale,
Mich., involves her
classes with IPG.
"The program is
said.
creative writing
superb," Pavloff
Pavloff said students get excited
about the IPG Young Poets'
Conference. The daylong conference
includes workshops and poetry read-
ings, as well as the chance for students
to meet their mentors in person.
But sonic say there is a drawback to
the program.
"The e-mail system is successful, but
the mentors become overwhelmed at
the ease of communication," Pavloff
said. "The system is just too fast."
Pavloff said the Internet, which
allows instant distribution of work,
causes students to become careless and
not as concerned with editing. The
onslaught of poetry not only desensi-
tizes the poets, but overwhelms the
mentors.
Stanzler agreed. "It's frustrating
when you can't get or give enough feed-
back,' he said.
Angela Delarmante, a former high
school participant in IPG, will be a
mentor this year. She drew a distinction
between IPG and the classroom.
"One of the things I like the most
about the IPG was that it didn't feel like
a classroom, where, oftentimes, there
are a lot of boundaries," she said.
JENNIFER BRADLEY-SWIFT/Daily
Raw appeal
Joyce Lai, a graduate student in the School of Public Health, rolls sushi last night at a free class titled, "The Art of
Sushi," held by Whole Foods Market and sponsored by Eden Foods. Whole Foods Market offers a series of classes on
cooking, nutrition, homeopathy and herbal medicine.
Senate gives final pa g tA
stiffer drve seducation plan
LANSING (AP) - Legislation to stiffen driver's educa-
tion standards for Michigan youth while dropping the man-
date that schools offer driver's education narrowly won final
approval in the state Senate yesterday.
The bill would make it tougher for a youngster to get a
permit or license and require parents to spend more time
teaching their kids how to drive. It now goes to Gov. John
Engler.
But it could raise costs to families if their local school
drops driver's education - now a requirement - forcing
them to pay for private driving lessons.
With all Democrats and a few Republicans objecting to the
funding provision, the bill fell one vote short of the 20
required for passage.
Then Sen. Philip Hoffman (R-Horton) switched his "no"
vote to "yes," and it passed, 20-17. All in favor of it were
Republicans; all Democrats voted against it except Sen.
Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) who was absent. Also opposed were
GOP Sens. Jon Cisky of Saginaw and Walter North of St.
Ignace.
"The passage of this bill is about one very important thing:
preventing useless tragedies that come as a result of inexpe-
rience behind the wheel," said Sen. Doug Carl (R-Mount
Clemens) and chair of the Senate Transportation and Tourism
Committee.
"This legislation will hopefully reduce the number of inex-
perienced drivers that are on the road and thereby make
things safer for all of us," said Gary Mitchell, spokesperson
for the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents.
Hoffman said he changed his vote after talking to the bill's
sponsor and being assured driver's education would still be
available.
Democrats criticized the measure.
"Public safety takes a back seat with this legislation, and
Michigan families face another financial burden," said Sen.
Dianne Byrum (D-Lansing).
COME JOIN US FOR PRAISE AND
WORSHIP EVERY SUNDAY!
Worship at 9:30AM * Christian Education at 11:00AM
Classes for all ages, including college students
Meeting at Tappan Middle SChoi
2251 East Stadium Blvd.
1/2 mile from Packard & Stadium
Sunday morning student shuttle service:
9:00 East Quad 9:03 Martha Cook
9:05 Michigan Union 9:10 Stockwell
9:15 Markley
All students are invited to a welcome brunch on
Sunday, September 29 at 12:15pm, after church.
Please call 662-0194 or 973-KNOX
for more information and/or directions.
CAR
Continued from Page 1
The completely overhauled engine
and operating system don't need oil
changes or other regular repairs, like
many standard cars. The pricing is com-
petitive too.
"if you consider charging alone, it's
much less expensive for the electricity
that goes in to the batteries than for the
gasoline to fill up your tank,"
Cunningham said. A full recharge costs
"a couple bucks."
Looking toward the future, the bat-
teries can only be recharged 1,000
times, and when new batteries are even-
tually needed, the car owner will spend
about $100,000 dollars for the set.
"Then they aren't going to compare
that well," Cunningham said.
Other setbacks include the limited
range, and the slow acceleration
between zero and 20 mph. Once above
this speed, the car rides as well as or
better than any gasoline-fueled vehicle,
Hadley said.
The vehicle hardly hums when
idling, add during acceleration, only
emits a low purr.
There are no plans to build another
electric vehicle soon, but Cunningham
said he'd like to get his next electric vehi-
cle from one of the Big Three. He would
like to compare their cars with his.
"We've learned a lot for ourselves build-
ing this car, so our staff feels pretty well-
versed in repairing these vehicles"
l.U ......
(IA L1LNI L
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
~IDAY
U Chines Christian Fellowship, meet-
ing, 764-2060, First Presbyterian
Church, 7:30 p.m.
J "Come Meet the Candidates for the
1996 Elections," sponsored by
Socialist Equality Party, Michigan
X- Inion. Parker Rmm R n m_
Conservative and Orthodox ser-
vices, sponsored by Hillel, 1429
Hill Street, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
L "A Nation of Laws?" video commemo-
rating the 25th anniversary of
SUNDAY
U Black Pre-Medical Association, mass
meeting, 763-3939, West Quad,
Ostafin Room, 3:30-5 p.m.
U "Liturgy of Holy Communion," spon-
sored by Lutheran Campus Ministry,
Lord of Light Lutheran Church, 801
Cntit+h Frn+ A . 41 a m
11\